South African Legislative Debate over Advertising Continues

Members of the National Council of Provinces' (NCOP) Economic and Foreign Affairs Committee met on Jan. 30 to discuss the National Gambling Amendment Bill, which is designed to license and regulate remote gambling in South Africa. The main area of contention at the moment is advertising, and the committee will meet yet again on Feb. 13 to discuss the issue further.

Sabinet, which runs a parliamentary information service, reports that committee members are engrossed in debate regarding the nature of advertisements that are to be permitted by the legislation -- whether any should be allowed at all; whether it should be subject to the provisions of each individual province; and whether only domestically-licensed companies may be permitted to advertise.

Representatives from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) were present at the Jan. 30 meeting and have agreed to return to the Feb. 13 meeting with "a formulation that is recommended on the subject by both DTI and the state law advisers on the subject."

The NCOP is the upper house of South Africa's Parliament. It is composed of 90 members -- 10 from each province -- and functions to align national and provincial interests.

The National Gambling Amendment Bill must pass the NCOP in order to be enacted. In September the legislation was approved by the trade and industry committee of the National Assembly, Parliament's lower house.

South Africa's Gambling Board has had ambitions to regulate remote gambling since 1999.

Timeline

August 1999 - The National Gambling Board issues a report titled "Internet Gaming and South Africa: Implications, Costs & Opportunities." The report suggests South Africa could reap $1 billion a year in international export by regulating Internet gaming.

August 2004 - The National Gambling Act 2004 is enacted. It contains a schedule of transitional provisions that require the Gaming Board to consider and eventually introduce legislation to regulate interactive gambling.

October 2005 - The National Gambling Board issues its extensive 242-page "Report on the Regulation of Interactive Gambling," which contains the outline of a proposed regulatory framework.

October 2006 - The DTI produces a draft of the National Gambling Amendment Bill, which is based on the National Gambling Board's suggested framework.

December 2006 - The DTI submits the National Gambling Amendment Bill to Parliament.

September 2007 - The trade and industry committee of the National Assembly approves the National Gambling Amendment Bill.